Matsuyama Bound!

お正月の大勢の人がもう帰った後で2日間に松山へ行った。そのタイミングはぼっちりでちょうど安い旅館も道後温泉も空いてきた。行くのは長くないけど、山を越えるとすぐ冷やくなったような気がした。日本では道後温泉が夏目漱石の坊ちゃんという小説で有名と聞いたが、私はジブリの千と千尋の神隠しというアニメをみて、そのなかに出る温泉は道後をもとにして描かれたと聞いて興味を持った。本物の道後温泉を見ると宮崎駿の作った温泉のインスピレーションをはっきり分かった。短い旅行でとてもよかった！

I went to Matsuyama for two days after the big New Years crowds had already left.  This turned out to be great timing, as both Dogo onsen and a nearby cheap Japanese inn weren't crowded at all.  It didn't take long to get to Ehime, but it felt as though the temperature dropped significantly as soon as we passed over the mountains.  In Japan Dogo onsen is mostly famous from Natsume Souseki's famous novel, Botchan, but as for me I found out about it upon hearing that the onsen that appears in Miyazaki Hayao's famous anime Spirited Away was based on Dogo.  Upon seeing the onsen for myself, Miyazaki's inspiration was pretty obvious.  Overall it was a really great, short trip.

添付のビデオは道後温泉の前に雪が降っている。

Kyushu and Yakushima

I went on a solo trip to Kyushu over silver week.  I went to Sasebo, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, and Yakushima.  I met other ALTs in Sasebo and Kagoshima and then went into Nagasaki city and onto Yakushima by myself.  I wanted to go to both places alone so that I could take time and reflect on myself and the actions of the past, before my time.  It was a good trip.

 シルバーウィークの時一人で九州へ行った。佐世保と長崎と鹿児島と屋久島に行った。佐世保と鹿児島で他のALTと遊んだ。長崎と屋久島は自分だけで行った。両方の所は深く考えれるように一人で行きたかった。屋久島も長崎も長くて大切な歴史や話があるからそれについて私案した。いい旅だった。

Traveling with my Brother

My brother and three of his friends came to visit Japan recently.  You may have seen them with me in the village while they were here.  We traveled around inside Tokyo city then went to Kyoto.  From there we visited Himeji, Nara, Koyasan, and Osaka.  We ended our trip here in Kochi.  I took them to the waterfalls in Niyodogawa-cho and then we stopped by Yuu no Mori onsen.  I had a lot of fun seeing my brother and visiting many parts of Japan for the first time.

最近お兄さんと友達の三人が訪日した。もしかしたら私達が一緒に村内にいた時見たかもしれません。 日高村に来る前に東京で遊んだりして、京都に行った。あそこから姫路も奈良も大阪も和歌山県の高野山にも行った。最後に高知県に着いた。仁淀川町の滝まで連れて行って湯の森温泉によった。お兄さんと日本のたくさんのところを見ることでよく楽しめた。